


Different Outcome

by Sonofashepard



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe Hopping, Anarchy, Avenger Sam Wilson, Chaos, Character Death, Clint Barton is level headed, Hell on Earth, Hurt Steve Rogers, Loki will make an appearance, M/M, Post-Battle of New York (Marvel), Several things don't follow the story line, Steve Feels, Tony's from another universe, alternative universe, because The Battle was lost, loki won, somewhat slow build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-03 05:55:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4089493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sonofashepard/pseuds/Sonofashepard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark knew only five things at the moment.<br/>1. He had royally fucked up beyond repair.<br/>2. The world he was in was nothing like his own<br/>3. Pepper Potts didn't exist.<br/>4. The Avengers had lost<br/>5. The original Tony was dead</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There are somethings that may be spelled wrong. Sorry for any sort of errors.

Tony felt cold dirt beneath his back, wind whipping against his face, and heat. His eyes opened, brown orbs dancing around to absorb his surrounding. The first thing he came across was fire, burning all around, in several different places. The second thing that he saw was a barren waste land, buildings knocked to the ground, pluming clouds of smoke covering the sky, and in the midst of it all, a large, broken tower that resembled his own. 

~ Two hours prior~

"Come on, Brucey, what's the worst that could happen?" The normal Stark smirk played across Tony's lips as he glanced behind him at the biologist. 

"Tony, don't say that. You're tampering with time and space. Anything could happen." Dr. Banner sighed, shaking his head. "You should leave it alone. Hydra tech isn't something we need to mess with." 

"It's mine now. I took it. That makes it mine." He replied, pressing several buttons on his control pad before looking at the large, metal contraption. "And you don't  _know_  exactly what this thing does." He muttered, running his hand over the smooth exterior. "Besides, for all we know as of now, it could be a microwave." 

"The file says different." Banner stated, looking over several pages of written work. 

"File shmile." Tony toyed with one of the strange protruding devices. "Like I said-" He stopped, his jaw dropping as the smooth machine seemed to beam to life, several panels pealing from the surface to reveal glowing, colorful control pads below. He let out a soft whistle, reaching towards a green light. 

"Tony!" Bruce called out, standing from his seat, the papers falling to the ground. But, before Tony could remove his hand, a bright, electric blue light shot into his finger tips, and everything around him shuddered before going black. 

~Present time~

Standing with a groan, Tony cracked his neck, rubbing what would probably be a bruise on his back. He scanned the area again, moving forward slightly only to stop, his body reacting as he hid behind a wall, cringing slightly at the sound of thrusters. He pressed further back against the crumbling stone, his eyes narrowing as an alien like ship passed him by. He swallowed quietly. 

"What happened here?" He whispered to himself, working his way around the opposite side of the wall.

~

"Captain, we have movement." Clint declared, spinning around in his chair and staring at the large blond that approached him. 

"Human?" He asked, his voice tired, and his hair untidy. 

"I believe so." Barton shrugged, pointing over at a small screen. "No identification though. Also, Jarvis can't seem to pick up where they came from." He mumbled, his voice dark and confused. 

"Swivel around. try and get a facial view. If it's really a survivor, we'll need to send out a rescue team."

"Cap, I don't think the word survivor fits anyone anymore." He whispered, fiddling with the keys on the computer, before tapping at the screen. The unknown moved quickly, hiding from view several times. "Hold still." Clint breathed, forcing the small camera bug closer, spinning around the moving body before reaching his face, only to freeze, the bug dropping to the ground due to no control. 

"Barton? What is it?" Nat rushed over placing  hand on his shoulder. 

"I.. I don't..." He shook his head, clicking into a different screen and rolling through the recently captured footage before freezing the frames. Everyone in the small base went silent. 

"It's a trick. It has to be." Steve mumbled, shoving lightly on Clint's shoulder to get a better view of the small screen. "J-Jarvis run a retina scan. Hell, run anything you can. There has to be some kind of mistake... That can't be... Him." He clenched his jaw, shaking off the hand that had been placed on his shoulder. 

"Steve." The raspy voice murmured. "Take a break. Please, Stevie." Rogers turned around to face his best friend, Bucky. "We all know you need it."

"What about h-" Bucky held up his flesh hand. 

"If we find anything, we'll tell you. Now go get some rest." Steve stared into the blue orbs for several seconds before sighing. 

"Alright, fine. But if anything-" 

"If anything comes up, you'll be notified." Sam pitched in, crossing his arms as he stood in the doorway. Steve hesitantly nodded, taking a deep, tired breath before leaving the small room. He headed down a flight of stairs, pushed open a metal door, and crashed down on the first bunk he came across. The last thoughts he had before he fell into a deep slumber were of Tony, the world that had gone to hell, and the taste of his lover's lips that he missed so much. 

~

debris crunched beneath his sneakers as he jogged around, his eyes following the dim ray of yellow that pushed through the browning sky. He avoided each mobile vehicle, his breath catching in his throat every time one passed. They were the exact ones from the battle, and from the looks of it, the Avengers hadn't come out on top. The next thing that popped into his head was the question that was probably, at the moment, the most important. Where were the Avengers?

~

"Buck, I think this is really him." Clint sighed, his voice strained. "But... How?" He asked, his blues catching Bucky's. 

"No clue." Bucky whispered, his hand rubbing Clint's shoulder as he watched the archer type several things into the data base. "Should we go get Steve?" He asked, leaning closer to Clint as he spoke. 

"Let him rest. There's no doubt that image right there scared the shit out of him." Natasha spoke, quietly strapping a vest around her body. "Cap wanted to send out a rescue party, right?" She asked, raising her delicate eyebrows at her friend. Slowly, Clint stood up, looking over at Sam. 

"I'm up for it." The man said, moving a pair of goggles over his eyes. "But if this is some kind of mind trick I'm blaming you." He spoke seriously, adjusting the straps on his pack while heading towards a large door. Natasha, Bucky, and Clint followed behind him. 

"Clint, stay here. If anything goes wrong, you're our fastest way to safety." Bucky said, grabbing onto Clint's hand and raising it to his lips, kissing it lightly before dropping it. 

"Fine. But you better not let anything go wrong. That's an order." Barton said, a frown tugging at his lips before standing on his toes and pressing a kiss to Bucky's cheek. "Be careful." He whispered, stepping back as the large door opened, dust blowing into the base as the three jogged from the enclosure. 

~

Tony slide down a slanted drop, climbing into a small, broken hole before stopping, his breathing harsh as another drone flew over his head. He could feel the heat of the engine on his skin, his jaw clenched and his hand over his mouth. He was tired, thirsty, and his stomach wouldn't stop growling. He cursed himself for not eating back at the Tower, his tower. 

~

"Take a right, and drop down into the tunnels, hes not far. It's almost as if he's coming straight to us." Clint said over the com, his eyes glued to the screen as he followed 'Tony' with a camera bug. "That's it guys, try and be quiet, don't wanna spook 'im." He mumbled, his breath catching in his throat at every movement on every monitor. 

"Clint, the tunnel is blocked. Where now?" Nat's voice pitched into his ear, and his sighed. 

"There should be a small area to your left, just big enough to crawl through, Nat. Buck, you and Sam stay back and keep an eye on your surroundings." He commanded, his palms sweating slightly. 

~

Footsteps, though as light as they were, brought Tony out of his thoughts. The only source of light he had was coming from his chest, the dull blue glow casting a ghastly appearance. Swallowing, he stood from his crouched position, his jaw tight as he narrowed his eyes, trying to see further. 

The first thing that caught his eyes was red. If he had a heart it would have stopped. His eyes widened as the person, he could now tell it was human, rushed towards him, their steps almost silent.The second thing he caught was the apparent weapon pointed straight at his chest. 

"Move and I shoot." 

"Natasha?" Tony's eyebrows furrowed as the girl moved into view, her eyes dangerous and her lips in a thin line. The gun lowered slowly. 

"Tony... It's.. It's really you?" 

"What do you mean it's really me? What's going on here?" He asked, his limbs shaking in fear, fear he hadn't felt in a long time. 

"What? Tony... We lost. Loki won. You died." She whispered the last part, and before Tony could do anything, he was wrapped in a hug. "We have to go. Come on, this way." Her finger pressed into her ear. "Clint, I've got him. It's really him."

Tony shuddered his mind racing. How had he died? What was going on? 

"Come on." Nat said in a commanding voice, tugging at his sleeve. His feet kicked in and he followed after her, his mind numb as he went. Soon enough, they had reached others, two men he hadn't ever met. They said nothing to him as they extracted him from the area. Silence buzzed in his ears as he maneuvered his way behind Natasha, following quietly for what felt like days before she stopped, her hand still secured on his arm. He glanced around, raising his eyebrows before a metal door seemed to appear from no where, opening up to reveal an underground room, and a very, very distressed super soldier. 

 

~

"You went out without my call." Steve frowned, staring at Bucky as the doors opened. "Why didn't you wake-" He stopped, his eyes falling on the extra man that had been with them. The air seemed to leave him as his lips parted, eyes wide. "T-Tony?" He breathed, and as the man stood in front of him, he knew it couldn't be anyone else but him. "B-But how?" His lips moved but the words didn't come out. He could feel his knees shaking slightly as he backed up, only to press into Clint for support. 

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on?" Tony asked, confusion in his brown eyes as he watched the Captain. 

"This might take some time." Clint said, his face showing composure, but his eyes told everyone that he was as confused as they were. 

~

Tony sat quietly in a folding chair, his eyes narrowed as he glared at the floor. "So, you're telling me that, not only did you lose the battle of New York and the world was taken over by Loki and his army, but I, I mean, you're Tony died for nothing?" He asked, his eyes shifting to Clint. 

"Yeah, that's about right." He sighed. "Now, are you going to tell me why you keep calling yourself 'our Tony?'" 

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, but, well, I'm not from here." He started, reclining. "You see, where I'm from, we won. Kicked Loki's ass in fact." His lips pursed. "I have a theory though." He folded his arms. "On a recent Avengers mission, we attained a device that was said to be able to bend time and space. Either I changed the time continuum, or, I'm in an alternate universe."

"You mean like Doctor Who or some shit?" Clint asked, tilting his head. 

"Sure why not. Anyway, I need to get home." He frowned, and Clint sighed. 

"Don't know how you're going to do that." He mumbled, standing from his chair. 

"Wait." Tony stood with him. "Where's Pep? Is she alive?" He asked, concern in his words. 

"Pep? Who's Pep?" Clint asked, pausing at the door. 

"She's... She's my..." He stopped. "How do you not know Pepper? Pepper Potts, my CEO." Tony stopped himself from going on. 

"Never heard of her." Clint shook his head. "Oh, by the way, Cap wants to 'speak' with you." He made air quotations around 'speak' before turning back to the door and opening it. 

"Why are you making air quotes?" Tony asked, but Clint didn't answer. The door shut behind him, and Tony could help but sigh, slumping back into his chair and burying his face in his hands. The door clicked open, and Tony groaned, glaring at the person through his fingers. For some reason his breath caught when blue eyes bore into his. 

"Tony..." Steve whispered, taking hesitant steps towards him. 

"I don't bite, Cap." He replied half-heartedly, exhaustion seeming to get to him more then ever. 

"You're really him." Rogers' eyes were filled with doubt, sadness, and some other emotion Tony couldn't identify. 

"Yeah. The one and-" He stopped. "Yes, Steve, I'm Tony." He stood up, watching the blonde with careful eyes. 

"But, you're different." He took his final step, stopping a foot in front of Tony. "I don't understand science-y things, and the idea of 'alternate universes' doesn't seem to quite click, but I can tell you're not the same Tony that died. You aren't my Tony." He breathed, and if Tony had a heart it would have stopped beating. 

"Your Tony?" He whispered, his eyes widening slightly. "Wait, let me get this straight. You and I... You and him were.. Were a thing?" The words felt strange in his mouth, but something seemed to bloom in his stomach. Steve's jaw flexed. 

"I guess there's another thing that's different." He sounded almost offended, but he stood his ground. Silence buzzed around the room, and Tony couldn't help but want to fall to his knees. Several thoughts raced through his head but he shook them off. Pepper was in the back of his mind as he stared up at Steve. He fought of the urge to touch the chiseled jaw line, breaking eye contact. "Jarvis, ask Clint to set up a bunk for Tony." 

"Of course sir." Jarvis responded, and Tony couldn't help the flipping in his stomach at the comforting voice. 

"You tired? Hungry? Thirsty?" He rattled off to him, and Tony couldn't miss the protective tone. "We have running water thanks to Jarvis." He also couldn't miss the hollow sound of his words. Whatever had been between Steve and the other Tony, it had been something big, because Steve wasn't hiding it very well at all. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds more out on what happened when the Avengers lost the Battle. He also finds it harder and harder to ignore Steve's gaze. Clint becomes his 'best friend forever'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I didn't confuse anyone, but when I put the little squigglies I'm just changing from one P.O.V to another. It's mostly Steve and Tony centric, but I might throw in a few of Clint's and Bucky's.

Steve rested his elbows on his spread knees, his eyes locked on the sleeping body in front of him. It was clear that the man before him was exhausted; it had been when he first arrived. Rogers was still trying to get it through his head that this wasn't  _his Tony_ but it was harder than he expected it to be.  _  
_

"Staring isn't polite, Cap." Tony groaned, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. Steve's heart thumped painfully at the sound of Tony's voice. He couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. 

"I wasn't staring, Stark, I was observing." He pitched back at him, leaning back in his chair as Tony sat up. 

"Do you always drool when you observe?" Tony shot back.

"Watch it, Tony. I'm on command here. I could through you back out onto your ass."

"Watch your language, Steve. I'm truly appalled by your behavior." Tony gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his glowing arc reactor. Steve couldn't hold back the chuckled that slipped through his lips, which soon grew louder at the extremely surprised look in Tony's eyes. "What? Are you laughing at me?" Tony asked, his eyes wide and mouth slightly open. 

"Like I said, Tony, a lot of things are different." Steve shrugged slightly, standing from his chair and walking to the door, glancing behind him momentarily before entering the main comm room. 

~

Tony tried his hardest not let his eyes wonder down the toned back of Steve Rogers, but, sadly, he lost and his brown orbs were practically glued to Captain America's swaying ass. But, the stare was only short lived, due to the clean, shiny metal door that closed behind Steve, leaving Tony alone in the large sleeping quarters. 

"Tony!" 

The voice ripped through his tired conscious, causing him to fall from his sitting position and onto the floor. He bounced back to his feet, his eyes rapidly scanning the seemingly empty room, before darting to the roof. The second they did, he spotted a shoe, which was attached to a leg. It dangled out of an old fashioned air vent, swaying slowly back and forth. 

"Clint?" Tony's voice cracked slightly, causing him to clear his throat awkwardly. A moment later, the dangling leg was replaced by an upside down head. 

"Hey, you're awake!" He said, a slight smirk to his lips. 

"Yeah." Tony mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "What are you doing up there?" He asked, although if this Clint was any like the one in his world, he already knew the answer. 

"One, I see better from a distance." Tony knew that. "Two, Buck's mad because I hid his boxers under my matress." Tony didn't know that. 

"Buck?" He asked, his eyes wide. 

"Yeah?" Clint replied, using the same tone of voice. "The tall, dark, handsome fellow with the metal arm?" He questioned, his body dropping down from the vent as he rolled into the floor below. He stood back up and faced Tony. "We're kind of dating? Have been for several months." 

"I don't even know a Bucky." Tony shook his head. "You're gay?" He asked.

"Nah." Clint rolled his eyes, waving his hand towards Stark. "Just fell in love with a man." He shrugged. 

"Huh." Tony averted his gaze, before returning it with questioning eyes. 

"No no, I know that look, Anthony Howard Stark." Clint raised his hands, backing up slightly. "I am not going to answer all of your questions, because I am not available for more than a few minutes." He said it lazily, shaking his head.

"Okay, how about you answer a few then? The smaller ones, maybe?" Tony practically pleaded, taking steps towards Clint.

"Fine. You have a limit of five. But they have to be small, and uncomplicated."

"Right." Tony paused for a second. "Why did you lose the battle?"

Clint held up his arms, forming a large 'x'. "Nope. To complicated." He sighed. "Don't act dumb, Stark, I know for a damned fact that you know hat the word uncomplicated means."

"Fine." Tony exaggerated the i, his shoulders slumping as he flopped down on the side of a bed. Clint sat down across from him. "Who's the other guy? The one with the goggles."

"That's Sam Wilson. I'd like to pride myself and say we found him, but, in truth he found us. Showed up not long after we lost. Said he wanted to help." Clint held up a hand, his fingers outstretched. Slowly, he lowered his pinky. "Four more, and then we gotta go." 

"Alright... Why does Bucky look so scary?" He asked, raising his eyebrow seriously when Clint snorted. 

"That's a dumb question." Clint shook his head. "Bucky was made, well, enhanced by Hydra. Made into a weapon of great skill. Perfect in every way." He sighed. "When Loki started attacking more than just New York, Hydra fell quickly, and Buck escaped with a little help from a scientist. We ended up finding him in one of our distance raids." He shrugged, folding his thumb into his palm. 

"Interesting." Tony mumbled. "Has he ever tried to hurt you?" He glanced back up, but Clint didn't seem surprised. 

"When he first got here, he had his moments. But, thanks to me and Steve, he became less hostile and more trusting. Nat avoided him until recently." He lowered his ring finger. 

"Two more? Already?" Tony asked, watching Clint smirk. "Okay, lets see." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "How did 'Other Tony' die?" Clint's eyes grew dark.

"The Counsel fired a missile at the city, and 'the other Tony' tried to push it up through the portal all the aliens were coming from." He took a deep breath. "Miscalculated it, and it ended up blowing before he got it where he wanted it." Stark could see the obvious slump in Clint's shoulders as he finished, his eyes directed at the floor. His outstretched hand twitched slightly before he glanced back up, lowering his index and twisting his hand around. Tony couldn't help but laugh. 

"Really Barton? How childish." Tony chuckled, shaking his head. 

"What's your last question, Stark?" 

"How much can you tell me about Steve's relationship with 'Other Tony'?" 

"A good amount." Clint dropped his hand. "Aright, that was five questions, come on." Clint stood, and Tony groaned. 

"That's not fair!" He whined, getting to his feet and facing Barton. 

"Is it? You asked a question and I gave an answer." Clint shrugged. 

"I hate you." Tony grumbled crossing his arms and causing Clint to laugh. 

"Whatever, Mr. Stark. Come on, into the comm room." Clint shook his head, heading towards the door and opening it, Tony on his heels. 

~

Steve sighed, glaring at the gurgling coffee pot as the door to the bunker opened. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched Barton exit first, followed closely by a clearly upset and nagging Tony. 

"Come on, Barton! That wasn't even funny! You have to answer my question! And don't act like you don't know what question that is." 

"Look, Stark, you asked the question of how much, and I gave you an answer. You never asked for me to tell you how much I knew." Clint replied, shaking off the hand on his shoulder playfully. Steve watched quietly, twitching his eyebrows up when Clint glanced at him. "Go bug Rogers, Tony." Tony's eyes darted to Steve a moment later, allowing Clint a silent get away, due to Tony's inability to walk and stare at Steve at the same time. 

"I made coffee." Steve offered, and Tony's attention immediately jumped to the running coffee pot. 

"You actually know how to?" He asked in the most serious tone, causing Rogers to chuckle.

"Yeah, Tony, I know how to make coffee." Steve got up from his chair, ignoring the twinging pain of the domesticated conversation. "The cups are up there." He pointed above Tony's head, holding back a laugh when the shorter male couldn't reach the cup he wanted. 

"Why?" Tony whined, his fingers wiggling as he reached for the closest mug. 

"Here." Steve sighed, standing behind Stark and easily grabbing the cup he was reaching for. Tony's entire body froze, and Rogers could hear his breath hitching in his throat. Immediately, he looked down, sighing to himself before taking a step back. "Sorry." He mumbled, trying his hardest not to blush as he handed the mug to the flustered Tony. 

"R-Right. Th-thanks." 

"Did Tony Stark just say thank you?" Natasha strode into the room, a haunting smirk playing on her soft lips. Sam was right behind her. "Fury called, said operation Scavenger is so far successful." 

"Operation Scavenger?" Tony asked, pouring the black, steaming liquid into his cup before turning around, eyebrows raised. 

"We're recruiting survivors. You'd be surprised how many people have avoided Loki's command." Steve answered first, unable to take his eyes off of Tony.

"How many?" He asked, looking up at Steve. 

"Well, since roughly half of the world's population died during the attack, we'd have to say... Two thirds of the remaining." Sam offered, crossing his arms and leaning back against the table. 

"Half of the population died?" Tony's eyes shifted to the floor.  

"Something like that. We don't know entirely, but that's what Fury told us." Sam shrugged. "Nothing we can do about it now." Before Tony could reply, an automatic sliding door opened to his left, and his eyes shot towards it. Bucky strode through, his eyes dark, a frown clouding his face. 

"Has anyone seen Clint?" He growled, glancing towards each person before stopping at Tony. 

"What's he done now?" Natasha asked, one eyebrow raising delicately as she smirked. 

"U-Uh." Barnes' cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "D-Doesn't matter." He mumbled, crossing the room and exiting through another door. Tony snickered under his breath, which caught Nat's attention. 

"So? What did he do?" 

"Hid Bucky's boxers under his mattress." 

"He's worked up over a pair of underwear?" Steve shook his head, his lips tugging into a grin at the sound of Tony's chuckling. 

"Guess so." Tony sighed, leaning against the counter, and Steve could feel his eyes drifting over his body. 

~

The excuse of being half asleep wasn't something Tony could use when looking at Steve, because if he was telling the truth, he didn't need any coffee after Steve woke him up. The scare Barton gave him helped as well. But, he drank his coffee anyway, rejoicing in the bitter taste as it flowed down his throat. 

"So what's the plan of action?" He asked, setting he now empty mug onto the counter, trying his hardest to ignore Steve's gaze, and not return it. 

"We don't normally have a plan of action. Usually, we sit around, watching for any sort of survivor, and wait for word from Fury. Right now, he's our closest link to defeating Loki." Sam stated, shifting slightly from where he stood.

"Gathering a group of battered civilians is your way of defeating Loki?" Tony asked. 

"You'd be surprised what humans will do when cornered." Natasha spoke this time, eyeing Tony closely, and he could tell she wasn't missing anything that was going on between Steve and him. 

"I guess that's true." He sighed. "Where did this place come from? Also, where did you get all the tech?" He asked, changing the subject as he looked around. 

"Stark Industries. Also, S.H.I.E.L.D, but mostly Stark Industries. Jarvis pulled some strings during the battle, and figured it be a good idea to start setting things up in case we lost. Good thing he did."Natasha answered, her eyes flicking from Tony to Steve. 

"So, Jarvis is just as smart as ever." Tony continued to glance around the room. "How big is the place?"

"It's smaller on the upper floors, which happens to be where we are. Gets pretty big down below. Took Barton and Barnes almost a week to map the entire place out." Sam pitched in, obviously catching on to the same thing Natasha was. Tony couldn't help but internally groan at the attention. 

"Really?" He asked, surprised. He turned back to Steve, catching his gaze and returning it. "Where's the lab?" The question brought a strange look to Steve's eye. 

"With Banner. He took the portable lab wherever he went. All we have here at the moment is a tech room, which extends through several rooms. Clint's probably in the top floor." 

"So that's where he's nested." Tony mumbled under his breath. "Care to show me where that is, Captain?" Hesitantly, Steve nodded, heading towards the door Bucky had gone through. 

~

Steve led the way quietly, his senses on edge as Tony strode not far behind him. 

"Should we be weary of the dynamic duo?" Tony asked, and Steve couldn't help but smirk. 

"They usually don't display affection outside of the bedroom, unless its small." He stopped at the end of a hallway, before opening the door. It led through to a larger room full of all sorts of monitors and routers. From the door it was impossible to see the exit from the base, but the second Steve and Tony stepped through the doorway, it was obvious. 

"Is there a reason the tech 'lab' is so close to the exit?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Steve fought the flopping of his stomach. 

"Not really. All of this was here when we got here." Steve shrugged, ignoring the quiet click of a vent being replaced. Tony's head turned up, and Steve watched him silently chuckle. 

"Alright." Tony replied after a minute. Slowly, he trotted towards the tech, ogling at the different sized monitors, glancing around at the security footage. He quietly sat down on the single chair, cracking his fingers before reaching for the keyboard. 

"What are you doing?" Steve questioned, moving towards him and placing his hands on the back of the chair. 

"Oh, nothing. Just checking the data and speed, along with the system and re-calibration setting." Steve stayed silent. "I'm seeing how good the computer runs." Tony chuckled, and Steve flushed slightly. 

"Right. I understood you the first time." 

"You've never been a good liar, Captain." Tony quietly stated, clicking away at the keys. The simple statement sent a flutter to Steve's heart, and it was almost too painful to bear. He flexed his jaw slightly as he watched numbers and pages start to jump onto several screens. 

"What are you doing?" He asked, trying to ignore the feelings in his stomach. 

"Reprogramming the firewall, and editing some of Jarvis' programs. It doesn't seem like you have him connected to the security footage." He stated, his eyes flicking from one screen to the next. 

"Wasn't like we had a super-genius at our beck and call. It took Clint and Tasha almost three days just to get Jarvis up and running through the main Comm." He fought of the pained tone in his voice as he spoke, trying his hardest to keep a neutral facial expression while talking. He could tell Tony wasn't buying it, but he wasn't about to break down in front of him.

"I'm sorry." Tony whispered, and Steve barely heard him. "It must have been hard." He mumbled, hitting a few more keys, and a series of numbers appeared on the largest of screens. Steve chose to ignore his comments, and flicked his eyes to the security cameras that were placed outside of the door.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appologize if my writing style changes slightly here and there, but it sometimes just happens. Also, this story is supposed to be slightly funny, with some seriousness here and there. Thank you all for the comments on the first chapter :)  
> Also, if some characters seem to be ooc I'm sorry .-. Characters like Sam and Bucky are a little difficult to write, and Steve is hardish for me to write sometimes. I feel like I'm writing Tony alright, but if you guys don't think so feel free to tell me and I'll try harder. Anway, hope you like it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More insight and a small flash back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting now, each P.O.V will start with a '___ P.O.V' to clear up any confusion.

~Tony's P.O.V~

Tony leaned back against the wall, allowing the luke warm water to rush over his exposed skin. His head was pounding and it hurt him to think of his friends back home, yet he thought anyway. He smiled at the memory of Bruce, tinkering away in his lab. Natasha's and Clint's spy antics startled a chuckled from his lips, which faded at the single thought of Steve. 

He and Steve, the Steve Rogers from his world, had been near enemies ever since the battle, yet they had their moments of friendship that always seemed underlining something else entirely. Even though he had Pepper, who had fled his thoughts momentarily, he had still seen something in Steve's eyes. The look in both Steves' eyes had shook him from his personal world. 

Maybe because they both looked at him the same way. 

Shivering, Tony cursed under his breath as he head floated back to real time, his skin ridden with goose flesh from the water that had gone frosty. It reminded him of a mission he had gone on with Clint and Bruce, up north where the sun didn't seem to exist. 

A knock on the door caused Tony to flinch. 

"Hey, Stark!" Clint's voice was muffled by the metal. "Hurry up, I smell like shit." 

"You are right on that one." Bucky spoke from what seemed left of Clint. 

"Fine!" Tony shouted over the patter of water, before quickly scrubbing the soap from his hair and crawling out, wrapping a towel around his waist before heading to the door. Rivulets of liquid rolled down his chest but he ignored them, stepping out into to chilly hall. "I used all of the hot water." He said, shrugging past Clint, strutting down the homey like hallway towards the bunker. 

"Asshole." Clint muttered at the same time Bucky said "I can be your heater." 

Chuckling, Tony kept his pace leisurely, his damp feet padding against the concrete floor. He quietly turned the corner only to stop, his face smacking against a hard wall. Cursing, he fell back. But, before he hit the ground, an arm was around his waist and holding him flush against the wall he had just hit.

"Tony." A voice spoke from above him. Quickly, his eyes snapped open and he was shoving himself away, shock covering his face. 

"S-Steve." He choked out, shaking his head and grabbing at his towel stupidly. 

"Aren't you going to apologize?" Steve asked, his face sarcastic. 

"Wait a second." Tony furrowed his eyebrows. "Whats with the look? Steve, you're supposed to be serious. Stop being sarcastic. That's my thing." He sniped, glaring half heartedly like a child. 

"Since when was it your thing?" 

"What?"

"Since when was it your thing?" He repeated. 

"Since ever." 

"I don't think so."

"Are you... Are you saying..." Tony fumbled with his words, unaware of the shit eating grin that spread across his lips. He jumped almost a foot off the ground when a hand landed on his shoulder. 

"He's joking, Stark." Bucky's accent filled his ears, along with the sound of Captain fucking America losing his cool in a fit of laughter. 

"What?"

"He's joking. Sarcasm is definitely a Stark trait." Steve held his stomach as he laughed. "Steve just picked up on a small amount along the way." Bucky muttered something that Tony didn't catch, but Steve apparently did. The blond immediately stopped laughing, his shoulders squaring. His jaw locked and he glared at Bucky, who didn't so much at flinch at the patriotic stare down. 

"I missed something." Tony muttered under his breath, slipping out from the flesh and blood hand that was rested on his shoulder, and slinking down the hall and into the bunker. 

 

~Steve's P.O.V~

His eyes trained in on Bucky, his heart pounding slightly as he stared, barely catching the fact that Tony was now leaving down the hall behind him. 

"Really Buck?" He tried not to snarl. 

"Yes, Steve, really." 

"You didn't even know Tony." He muttered, looking away at the steely glance Barnes had turned his way. 

"But I knew Howard. You told me Tony was like Howard in a lot of ways." He shook his head. "I've also met that Tony, who seems to be more like your Tony than you'll admit, Steve. I was being serious." 

"So am I." Steve shot back. "It's not like that, and you know it?"

"It's not? So you're telling me that you and Tony weren't a bunch of sarcastic assholes to each other before he died?" Bucky's tone was cold as he spoke the words, and they caused Steve's stomach to plummet. 

"I never.. It's.." Steve's jaw locked together again, and he looked away. "That has nothing to do with this."

"You're trying to tell me that you aren't looking at that Tony like he's your's?" Bucky laughed, the sound cold and disconnected. "Sure, Stevie, you tell yourself that. But I'm not the only one to notice, and I'm sure as hell not the first. Soon you'll be answering to Natalia." He spoke the name with a slight Russian swing to it. Steve just stared at the floor, shaking his head lightly. 

"What do I do Buck?" His shoulders slumped slightly, and Bucky frowned. He moved forward, placed his metal arm on Steve's elbow, and pulled him into a silent hug. 

" I don't know." He whispered against his head, breathing heavily against the blond head of hair. 

 

~Tony's P.O.V~

The shirt slid over his shoulders smoothly, and he quickly straightened it over his toned stomach before slouching against the bed, his entire body seeming to want to shut down even if he'd only been awake for a few hours. He didn't know why he was feeling this way, but he had a feeling it was because of the sudden, extreme change of environment. And most likely Steve. 

Slowly, he stood, stretching his freshly cleaned arms above his head and groaned under his breath before moving back to the bunker door and opening it, almost sighing when no one was standing there. In the past day he had been ran into, scared into several 'heart attacks' and almost landed on by Clint. Clint, who he'd never been terribly close to, seemed to be taking the place of 'best friend because he actually looks me in the eye'. 

It honestly hurt, and he had no idea why. He'd never really enjoyed eye contact with the team, but he couldn't deny that it was probably a healthy thing to do every now and again. Back home, Steve and Bruce were the two that seemed to do it the most often, and even it he'd complained about it, he now seemed to miss it more than anything else. 

His socked feet dully slapped against the bunker floor, the sound barely reaching his ears as he thought, his eyes flicking from side to side carelessly just to be sure he didn't run into another person. He hadn't really had time to explore the bunker, but, since the blaring, red flashing alarm hadn't gone off in over twelve hours, he couldn't help the building curiosity, and soon enough he found himself standing in front of the door Clint and Bucky had told him led down to the lower, less used floors. He smirked, reaching his hand and grabbing the handle. 

"Sir, please forgive me, but the others have informed me to give them a call if you open this door." Jarvis' accent drawled through Tony's ears, almost causing him to jump at the sound. 

"Wait, what?" Tony huffed, anger in his stomach as he looked up to the roof. 

"I decided to give you a warning, but, if you do decide to open that door, Mr. Rogers and Agent Barton will be notified immediately." He answered, the serious tone instantly relaxing Tony's nerves, even though he felt the boiling annoyance on the verge of exploding. 

"Why? What's down there? Do I need to take a travel buddy?" He asked, sarcasm and anger tinting his words. 

"I was told not to tell you, sir, but you could easily find out if you over rode my system." 

"Did you just tell me to override your system, Jarvis?" Tony asked, smirking widely. 

"I didn't so much as utter those words, sir." 

"Of course you didn't." Tony snickered, unable to remain angry thanks to Jarvis' attitude. Apparently, this Jarvis was exactly like the one at home. "Wanna give me directions to the control room, Jay? This place is like a tiny little maze." Tony asked, turning his back to the door, the idea of exploring shoved to the back of his mind. 

"Yes, sir." There was a short pause. " Please take a right at your next turn, and then an immediate left. Another left, and it's the door at the end of the hall, sir." He spoke the directions as Tony walked, and he couldn't help but laugh. 

"Wow Jay, you'd think you were built to be a GPS." Tony joked, and he could almost feel Jarvis smiling. "Is anyone in the room?" He asked quickly, stopping a foot or two in front of the door. 

"Agent Barton left through the air vents several seconds ago, sir."

"Of course." Tony mumbled, before opening the door and scanning the room. Quietly he headed over to the computer, booting up the home screen before pressing his fingers lightly on top of the keys of the keyboard. He sighed at the homey feeling before going to work, opening and typing and closing and typing.

The process seemed to take forever, and the room was quiet except his fingers lightly tapping away. But, after what seemed an eternity, a small screen popped up on the left of him, making Tony jump slightly.

"Jarvis, report." He asked almost instinctively.

"It's a security camera of  lower floor, sir. Level twelve, to be exact."

"How many levels are there?" He said, his eyes flicking over the dark set up of the space.

"Twelve, sir." 

"What's that? There in the middle of the room?" He pointed on it at the screen, as if Jarvis could see his movements. 

"I shall zoom in, sir." A split second later, Tony was breathing in sharp breaths as the camera refocused on a container made of glass. It resembled one of the one's he had kept his suits in, and it wasn't empty, either. 

"That's..."

"Indeed, sir. It's one of the few suits in this building. That one in particular is the salvaged suit from The Battle in New York." Again, Tony's breath hitched, and he couldn't take his eyes away. 

"That's why it's beaten to shit." He mumbled under his breath, and Jarvis stayed quiet. "They found it? Does that mean..." He trailed off. 

"No sir, the body was not found. The finding of the suit took several weeks, and it was in several pieces." Tony nodded slowly, leaning back in his chair and taking a deep breath. 

"They don't want me to find it." 

"That's not exactly right sir. Not many people are allowed down there, under Captain Rogers orders." He clenched his jaw slightly before back tracking. 

"You said there were a few suits in the building. Where?" The security camera screens all lit up, and Tony swiveled around to face them. There were only three that showed actual rooms, the rest showed black, or just static. 

"Levels four, five, and six all contain a suit. I had already had them moved to the bunker before the battle was lost." Tony smirked. 

"Good work, Jay, always a smart man."

"Only three people know about them, sir, they seem to be well hidden." 

"Three people?" He asked, scratching his chin. 

"Yes sir, Agent Barton, Sergeant Barnes, and Tony Stark." He paused. "You are the fourth to know." 

"The other Tony knew about these?" 

"He ordered it be done, sir." Jarvis responded, and a shiver went down Tony's spine. 

"Jarvis, override the command to inform the others if I open the door. Also, get me Barton. I'm going to need someone to lead me through the damned place." Tony stood from the chair. "Send him to the door, please and thank you."

"It will be done, sir." With that, Tony left the room and walked with a purpose down the hall, taking the appropriate turns before stopping at the door. It took Clint several minutes before he stumbled down the other end of the hall, his shirt hitched up on his hip as if he'd just put it on. 

"'Agent Barton, Sir Stark requests your presence at the north basement door.'" Clint mocked in a fake English accent as he stopped in front of Tony, crossing his arms and glaring half heartedly. "What is so important-"

"That I have to ruin your sex drive?" Tony smirked when Clint's cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

"No.." He grumbled, shifting his weight. "So what is it you want?"

"You know down stairs. I need you to lead me to the fifth floor."

"Why should I? Why should I go tell Cap?"

"Beca-"

"Barton! Get back in here now! Fuck Tony and his wants." Barnes came storming down the hall where Clint had came, shirt in his hand.

"Now its a party." Clint smirked, eyeing Bucky with interest.

"Great, now I can have the dynamic duo lead me through the maze." Tony moved over to the door. 

"What?" Bucky stopped, his metal arm dangling by his side. 

"Come on, lets go exploring." Barnes looked over at Clint before looking back to Tony, pulling his shirt over his head a second later.

"Really Buck? Are you really giving into this? He hasn't even given you a PowerPoint presentation yet." 

"What's a-" Clint raised his hand, cutting him off. 

"Nevermind. Just... Nevermind." He sighed, heading over to the door. "Steve's gonna know." He said, placing his hand on the handle, his eyebrows furrowing when Tony smirked. 

"Sure he will. After the overridden system is fixed." Clint faltered for a second before smirking as well.

"In that case, let's get going." Clint opened the door, Allowing Bucky and Tony to enter before he did. Slowly, lights flickered on automatically, and Tony's jaw dropped. 

This place was bigger than he'd ever imagined. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I love Jarvis and Tony's relationship so much. Also, Bucky and Clint's. I absolutely love Winterhawk, and I fell like I got that one down to a pretty good start. :3 Anyway, Stony should actually be happening in the next few chapters, after all the shit in the basement.  
> Special thanks to everyone that's commented so far. Just letting you know, I read each and everyone but I'm way too awkward to even know how to start a reply. I love reading the comments, they really help me out with my idea on my writting style, and most of them really make me smile.  
> Thanks to everyone for reading this story :D Have a nice day. (P.S.) The next chapter should be up sooner than later.


	4. Drabble #1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little subplot of Winterhawk for now. Can't seem to write anything else at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a drabble. I decided to insert small drabbles into random spots that barely even go with the main idea. This time, it's Buck and Clint :D

~Alternative universe, Two days after the fall of New York~

"Who the fuck are you?" Clint shouted, his bow already pulled, the notched arrow pointed straight at the strangers stomach.

"I'm a friend?" The long haired man raised his hands slowly, his eyebrows furrowing. "Wait, aren't you an avenger?"

"Yeah, what's it to you? Gonna capture me and hand me off to your lord and savior Loki the Dumbass?" Clint's voice rumbled in his throat as he stayed still, his fingers itching to let the arrow fly.

"I don't live under the order of that Reindeer fuck stick, that you very much." If Clint hadn't been forced to take a class on learning how to tell people are lying, Clint wouldn't have even thought twice about his words.

"Name."

"What?"

"Give me your damn name!" Clink growled, twitching his fingers on the bow string.  
"I uh... I have an idea of what it might be."

"What it might be?"

"I don't remember much."

"Who are you?" Clint asked under his breath, and flinched slightly when the man replied.

"They called me the Winter Soldier."

~

Clint finished off the code to the door and stood aside, allowing the 'Winter Soldier" to step in first. "You stink man." Clint gagged slightly at the ripe stench attacking his nostrils.

"At least I'm pretty." The man mumbled, not turning around to see Clint's extremely offended face.

"Right this way." Clint shook himself out of the stupor and headed down the hall, checking his peripheral to make sure the man was following him. "The Winter Soldier worked with Hydra, didn't he? So why aren't you fighting with Loki?" Clint could sense the man's muscles tightening, along with the quiet whir of his prosthetic arm. "Tony would have loved to see your arm.." Clint cleared his throat. "I'm not supposed to bring any potential danger into this bunker... So don't make me look more stupid than they already see me as."

"Sir yes sir." The man replied sarcastically, walking through the open door way Clint had stopped at. Quickly, Clint fell in behind him, his pace swift to match the man's.

"Jarvis." Clint looked up slightly. "Please round up the others."

"I'm sorry sir, but it seems as if you are the only one here."

"What about Cap?"

"He left around the time you did, Agent Barton, sir. He didn't say where he was going."

"Is that so?"

"Yes sir, it is." Clint sighed.

"Fine... Hey, guy, take a seat will you? You're making me nervous."

"I don't have any weapons on me." Clint slowly smirked, his eyes traveling down the man's body.  
"I bet you do."

"You're sick." But, to Clint's surprised, the mask like face broke into a small grin. It must have startled the man as well, because his eyes widened and he looked away.

"Do you have any idea what your name is, kid?"

"Kid? I'm older than you."

"No way."

"I'm over ninety years old."

"... Ninety?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Clint looked away, before turning back. "You didn't answer my question."

"My name... Is James."

"James?"

"James Buchanan Barnes." He said quietly.

"Ja.... James... Bucky? You're mother fucking Bucky?!" Clint stumbled back to stand against the counter. "No dice." He shook his head.

"That's what I thought. Until I saw my file."

"Your file?" Sighing, Bucky dug into his pocket, but before he could pull anything out, There was a silvery purple arrow tip digging into his throat.

"I'm getting out a picture, dumbass." 'Bucky' growled, yanking his hand from his pocket, and in his hand was a crumpled sheet. He handed it over to Clint, and Clint's jaw dropped. "This is the picture it contained.

"Holy shit." He held up the paper, which he now knew was a photo, next to the man's face. Whistling in amazement, he shook his head.

"Believe me?" Clint just nodded, taking a deep breath before handing the picture back to him.

"So, Bucky-"

"James."

"Why can't I call you Bucky?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"I'll kick your ass."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Okay." Clint rubbed the back of his head, un sure of what to do. Before he had to debate longer on the situation, Nat came sweeping into the room, tackling James to the ground.

"What the fuck are you doing, Clint?" Natasha hissed, her jaw clenched.

"He came to me. And I thought he was cute." He cleared his throat. "In a puppy sort of way."

"Do you even know who this is?"

"I do."

"Then why did you bring him here?"

"He's better to have as a friend than an enemy." Nat stayed quiet, her face screwing in a frown before she jumped up, stepping away from James.

"What a great way to introduce yourself." James rubbed the back of his head. "I'm here because I'm trying to save people too. This one ma told me I could find you guys, the Avengers, somewhere around here. I want to help." Natasha just looked away, mumbling something in Russian. James just smiled, shaking his head.

"Steve's going to be back any moment now."

"Where did he go?"

"To collect more scraps." And only a few knew what scraps meant. It meant Tony.

"oh.." Clint sighed, hopping up into the counter as James sat back down.

"Thank you." James whispered when Natasha had shut the door.

"For what?"

"For helping me. I've only known you for nearly an hour, and you've saved me twice."

"See it how you want to, but I don't think taking you home and allowing you to meet my crazy partner was anywhere near helping."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exploring with a tad of exposition :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've decided that after every few chapters there will be a shortish drabble. And if you guys want, you can drop a suggestion and if I like it I might use the idea for the drabble!   
> Also, there is only one Tony, and if I EVER write an alternate universe Tony(before he died, obviously) I'll address him as AU!Tony so it doesn't get confusing.

~Steve(From Tony's world)~

 

"Jarvis, search the area. Use any means possible. Also, assess the damage and bring back a report." Steve paused, taking a deep breath, trying to slow his thrumming heart. "Also, link my call to Nat and Clint. We're going to need everyone here." He pinched the bridge of his nose, holding back the feeling that was ready to explode from his chest.

Sure, him and Tony didn't exactly get along, but Steve was the captain. He was responsible for his soldiers. He was responsible for his friends.... Steve shook away the memory from long ago, turning on his heel and heading out the sliding glass door, which was more frame than glass at the moment. His fingers pressed lightly against a armed agent, continuing at a steady pace towards the room created to keep Bruce calm.

Steve knocked, slightly surprised when the door opened immediately. "Steve." Bruce mumbled, his arms curled around his sides.

"Are you ready to talk, Banner?" Steve asked, his voice full of authority.

"What else is there to say? Tony touched something he.." Bruce trailed off, sighing under his breath. "Steve, I saw something. I don't know what it was, but... It reminded me of the tesseract. It was so blue... Alien." Bruce's brown eyes flashed up to meet Steve's. "There was something else. For a split second I could have sworn that... That I saw another world." Bruce let a fake grin perch on his lips. "But that's just crazy."

"Bruce, we fought an alien invasion in which the very aliens rode in on flying jet skies through a portal in the sky." Bruce chuckled lightly, his hands curling and uncurling in his over sized sweater. "Thank you for letting me know." Steve, who couldn't feel his lungs at the moment, faked a smile and walked back out of the room, heading towards the control room.

"Excuse me Captain, but I think I might have found something you'd like to see." Steve looked over to the screen to his left, his breath catching as the damaged video showed foggy footage of Tony being blasted forward out the window. Except, the window didn't break. And he never hit the window.

"What am I seeing here... Jarvis?" Captain frowned slightly.

"It seems that Sir Stark has teleported. Where, I don't know."

"Could he still be here? On Earth?"

"Sir, He could be anywhere."

"Then check everyhwhere!" Steve didn't realize he was shouting until his fist smacked against the iron desk, leaving a large dent. Before he could stop himself, he whispered, "Tony's going to be pissed."

"I thought you didn't care much for Stark?" The silky voice caused Steve to twist around quickly, standing up from his seat.

"It's not that I... Care... For him. He's an ally. A very powerful, resourceful ally." Steve's heart gave a jump.

"Well, we better find him then." Like usual, Natasha stayed completely emotionless, swaying her hips slightly as she took Steve's seat, spinning around and pulling up a hologram.

 

~Tony~

Tony let out a thick whistle, smiling at the ginormous space surrounding him. The room they happened to fall upon turned out to be one he was looking for.

"Totally forgot there was a suit here." Clint stated, only to grow a shit eating grin when Bucky whispered something to him. "Nevermind. I totally remember."

"Gross." Tony looked back at the suit.

"Oh come on, we all know you undress the captain with your eyes." Clint teased, and Tony fought of the urge to agree.

"I don't know who you think I am, but I'm actually getting married. Maybe." Tony turned to look at Clint. "What do you think about a farm house out in the sticks? Wouldn't that be a great wedding present?" Bucky just stared at him, and Clint raised an eyebrow.

"You know a way to get back?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"The tesseract." Tony said simply. But Clint and Bucky took it as a joke, both seeming to choke on their breath as they laughed, Clint having to use Bucky as a support.

"No why you're getting that."

"Why not?"

"Because it was destroyed. Thor and Loki duked it out, and, what we think happened, is Thor sacrificed his own life to destroy the thing and protect us from worldly extermination." Bucky nodded, and Tony's shoulders lost their height.

"Shit." Tony turned his back to them, taking the several large steps towards the suit.. He placed his hand on the glass.

"So.. Wanna fill us in on who your betrothed is?"

"Pepper? Oh she's great."

 

~Clint~

"Pepper? Oh she's great." Clint watched Tony smile widely.

"She puts up with every mistake I make. Also, she practically runs my company, and makes sure I don't work over time." Flashes of short memories, containing the Tony he'd lived with, came to mind. Specifically the ones about Tony confessing his love about Steve. "Also, her hair smells great." Bucky chuckled, and Tony turned around. "What?"

Bucky just smiled wickedly, yanking Clint closer and shoving his nose into Clint's hair. "I'm jealous," He mumbled. "Clint's hair smells like dust."

"Hey!" Clint forced himself away, which wouldn't have worked if the arm that was around him actually fought against him. Bucky laughed, and Tony chuckled, his eyes seeming far away. A few minutes passed after silence surrounded them.

"Tony." Bucky eyed him, his eyes narrowing. "I never got the chance to meet other you, but... You have to remember, that Stevie sees you as he did him." Tony's smile faltered, but he quickly regained his façade. "That means, unless you have any thought of him like that, try not to lead him on."

"Lead him on? Why? What do you mean by that?"

"Come on Tony. We both have seen the way you look at him. It's more that platonic friends." Tony's cheeks lit up.

"Well, uh... You see, there's an explanation for that." Bucky snorted, and Clint slapped his flesh shoulder.

"Go on." Tony's eyes flashed around the room.

"Uh. It's just out of curiosity, really." Tony shuffled his feet before regaining his posture. "I was just wondering if his body was anything like Steve's back home."

"And why would you be wondering that?" Bucky asked, defensive friend kicking in.

"Me  him.."

"Boned at a party?" Clint asked almost enthusiastically, his grin growing.

"No." Tony looked away. "Did you know no matter how many drinks that man consumes, he's always sober?"

"You tried to get him drunk?" Bucky growled.

"... Sort of." Tony sighed. "Me and Pep went through  a hard time, and it just so happened to be when Cap was visiting the tower."

"So you TRIED to bone him?" Clint asked with a grin.

"If you want to put it that way."

"How far did you get?"

"Practically no where."

"Then how do you know what he looks like naked?" Clint asked, his voice slightly disappointed.

"I... Vomitedandhehadtocarrymetomyroomandheendedupsleepinginmybed." Tony spoke rapidly, and Bucky raised an eyebrow, while Clint snorted.

"What?"

"I vomited and he had to carry me to my room and he ended up sleeping in my bed." Tony spoke louder and slower.

"Oh." Clint burst out laughing. "Does Captain fucking America sleep naked?"

"No!" Both Bucky and Tony replied.

"He sleeps shirtless." Tony almost smirked.

"So, let me get this straight, you and miss fiancée got into a fight so you decided to hit on Steve 'goodie good' Rogers?"

"Yeah pretty much." Tony shrugged.

"So you have feeling for Stevie?" Buck spoke slowly.

"Uh..." Tony sighed. "I don't know." He looked back up. "I have feelings for the Steve back home. I don't even know this Steve."

The next moment, the door behind them flung open.

 

~Steve(Alternate universe)

Steve rubbed the towel in circles on his head, drying his hair as he approached the computer screens.

"Jarvis, update." Steve sat down, looking over at the screens, quickly locating Nat and Sam enjoying a glass of something in the small cafeteria. His eyes scanned the screens for Tony. "Jarvis?" Steve looked at the computer beside him, his heart thumping at the small screen that read rebooting. "Shit." The bar quickly filled.

"My apologies sir. It seems my system had some difficulties."

"Jarvis, where's Tony?" Stev'es eyes flicked back to the screens. "And Clint... And Buc.." Steve took a deep breath. "Are they in the basement?"

"I believe so, sir."

Locate them." Steve felt his heart pounding as images of Tony falling to earth, his armor scattering due to the blast.

"they're in room 343, sir." Standing up, Steve left the control room, heading down the hall to the basement door and down the stairs, a strange feeling overcoming him.

He stopped infront of the door, "... know this Steve." filtered through his ears. His lip twitched before he flung the door open. If he'd been in a different situation the looks on all three of their faces would have made him laugh.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flash back time!!

Tony's P.O.V~

 

Tony sighed, shaking slightly as Steve escorted him and the other two out of the 'basement'. Steve walked barely inches from him, his shoulders straight and his eyes forward, but it felt as if his blue eyes were looking into his soul.

"Is it cold to anyone else?" Tony asked, shrugging further away from Steve, who at that moment flicked icy blues in his direction.

"It's just Stevie's personality." Bucky mumbled from behind Tony, causing him to choke on his breath.

"Buck!" Clint let out a short lived laugh, knocking his shoulder into his lover's.

"You three think this is funny, don't you?" Steve glared back at Clint, Bucky and Tony.

"Honestly, no." Bucky said, meeting his glare full force. Tony couldn't help but think what it would be like to see those two fight. Clint just shrugged, averting his eyes.

"You deliberately went behind my back. I made it clear that no one was allowed down into the basement. Especially near the suits. Those rooms are off limits."

"Actually, you only made it off limits to Iron Bland here. "

"Rude." Tony mumbled, glaring back at Clint, who just shrugged again.

"You helped him achieve it. You al are equally guilty of breaking the rules." Steve sighed, pushing the door open and reentering the upper floor. "Buck, Clint, you go do whatever you want. Tony, I need to speak with you."

 

~ Steve's P.O.V(Tony's universe)

_"Tony." Steve flinched slightly at the contact that his hand made on his thigh. "You're drunk."_

_"Funny, I don't remember Captain Obvious replacing Captain America in the Avengers." Tony rolled his eyes. "The thing that gets me is that you're still sober. You've drank twice as much as I have." Tony takes a sip from his glass. "Which is a lot." He bottomed out the glass and set it on the coffee table. Leaning closer, he ended up throwing a leg over Steve's lap and straddling his waist._

_"T-Tony." Steve's face lit up crimson, his jaw setting as he glanced at Tony's lips, which were inches away from him._

_"You know, we can call this pity sex. I'm okay with having pity sex as long as its with you." Tony mumbled under his breath, raising his eyebrows in suggestion._

_"Tony, I'm not having sex with you."_

_"At the moment, you aren't. See, you need to use the proper pretense, or you're sentences don't make sense, honey." Steve looked away, trying to ignore the thrumming of his heart._

_"Tony."_

_"Just say the word." Tony's lips brushed against Steve's ear, causing him to shudder, his entire body going stiff._

_"We can't."_

_"But does that mean you want to? Because I don whatever I want." Tony rambled, resting his thumb and forefinger against his chin, turning it up slightly. "Say the words baby."_

_"Tony... I'm not... You..." His neck flushed and his cheeks grew darker. "What about Pepper?"_

_"Don't you remember why we're here? She's the reason I'm drinking -And preparing to sleep with you- as heavily as I am. Steve, don't make me beg, because I will."_

_"Tony..." Steve sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly, his arms finding their way to Tony's waist. His eyes met Tony's and Steve was overwhelmed with the longing that glowed in his brown eyes. Before he could do anything about it, Tony's slightly chapped lips were pressed against his. Out of instinct, his lips began to move with Tony's slow and fluid, almost as if they fit like puzzle pieces, placed together in perfect connection._

_Tony's hands skimmed up the curves of Steve's neck, one finding it's way into his hair, the other down his chest. Steve held back any sort of noise, his breath coming out quickly._

_But before anything could become more heated, Tony pulled away, abruptly stumbling up and out of the room. Steve, filled with worrisome curiosity. A second after he stood, the stomach twisting sound of vomiting came from the bathroom Tony had ran into. Breathing out a sigh, almost in relief, Steve entered the bathroom, grabbing a hand cloth from under the sink, wetting it slightly, and handed it to Tony, kneeling next to him, his hand resting on his shoulder._

_"Shit." Tony croaked, breathing shallowly. "If I'd known that you'd give in, I wouldn't have drank so much." He groaned, leaning on Steve's shoulder._

_"Come on." Steve spoke slightly, helping Tony stand up, ending up with the drunken man in his arms, carrying him towards the bedroom._

_"This is not how I pictured getting carried to my bedroom by you."_

_"How long have you been picturing this, Tony?" Steve asked, his cheeks tinging pink._

_"Oh I don't know... for a while. I actually thought I'd gotten over it. The thing is, I only-" Tony shuddered, shaking his head before continuing. "I only suppressed them, I guess." Sighing, Steve shook his head._

_"Tony.."_

_"I know, I know. this probably would happen again." Steve laid Tony down, turning around only to be stopped by a hand on his wrist.."Please stay. You don't have to do anything, just stay the night."_

_"Tony I..." Sighing, Steve walked around the bed, sitting down on the edge and removing his shirt._

_"Or we could so do something." Tony's remark made Steve chuckle._

_"No." He breathed pulling the covers back and laying under them, his eye lids closing, yet he didn't fall asleep until he was positive Tony had..._

~

Steve stood in the doorway of Tony's suite, his eyes glued to the couch, images of past events coming through his head. He pursed his lips. If Tony hadn't vomited, something probably would have happened. Steve remembered that night perfectly. It was strange, showing up in this new day and age, and the first person he looked at romantically was a man.

Of course, it wasn't the first time he'd seen a man like that. He remembered having the hots for his mothers best friend's son. He'd had someone to console in back then, though. Bucky was no longer around anymore. And even if he was, the way he reacted when he first told him wasn't the most ideal fashion. He knew Buck wasn't a homophob, it was more like the blatant response that he already knew Steve swung that way that disturbed him.

Shrugging the ideas away, he slumped down against the couch. It had been four days since Tony disappeared, and it was tearing Steve apart. He couldn't do anything for him, and he didn't even know if he was still alive. HIs heart seemed to stutter at the thought.

No, he didn't understand Tony, or the feelings that seemed to sprout during the Battle of New York, but something had crawled its way into Steve's mind, and he absolutely in no way, shape or form, was getting away from it.

~Tony's P.O.V~

Tony sat against the counter, his eyes glued to Steve's back as he locked the door behind him.  Tony took deep breaths, trying his hardest to think of Pepper, trying his hardest to focus on anything other than Steve's muscles contracting as he turned around, his shoulders rolling in the same way Steve back home would do, right before he transferred from Steve to Captain America.

"Tony." There it was. The voice that had crept along into his very being.

Think of Pepper.

"What?" Tony swallowed, flashes of his drunken stupor playing in his head.

Think of Pepper.

"What were you looking for?" His voice was quiet, his figure not moving from the door, his hands stiff at his sides, his chest almost quivering with strain.

He couldn't think of Pepper.

"I don't know." Tony shrugged.

"I know you powered down Jarvis. Why were you so keen on getting down there?"

"Steve... I was just going to check out a few of the suits." He toyed with the idea in his head, deciding to go for it. "I was most interested with the one on the bottom floor." He watched Steve's eyes fill with a storm of emotion. "It was all damaged. I wante-" The thud of a fist colliding with the thick wall, and a crack of bone stunned the room into silence.

"Tony. Promise me right now, that you WILL not go down there again."

"Aren't you going to tell me what's down there?" He asked cautiously, watching a small trickle of blood drip from Steve's hand, probably induced from the sheer power packed by that fist.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I fucking said so." And with that, Tony's jaw closed, his eyes wide. He was in no way ready to hear such a profane word slip from his mouth.

"... Sorry." Tony hung his head, feeling his body slump slightly. For some reason, he felt extremely guilty. He'd hurt Steve's feelings, but before he never cared.

Maybe it was because Steve was damaged...

 

~AU!Steve~

"... Sorry." Tony's voice cracked slightly as he head hung, and Steve could feel his heart crumbling at the sincere tone, something that he'd only ever heard a few times. Steve had hoped, prayed that there might be something that happened to be different from his Tony, anything that would make it easier to stand around him, easier to live under the same roof.

It hurt to think, that after finally being accustomed to Tony being gone, to adapting to life without him, a strange phenomenon happened, bringing someone into his life that was his, but wasn't at the same time. It was like looking through a clear glass, the thing you wanted most sat right there, on the e glass, but there was no way of getting through it.

"Steve?" Tony whispered, anchoring back onto earth, with the being that broke his heart more and more everyday.

"What?" Steve watched him raise his head, his brown eyes, murky and identical to his lover's, connected with his.

"I wont do it again.." Steve slowly nodded, taking a single step forward, before changing his mind and turning his back, unlocking the door, and striding out, leaving Tony alone.


	7. Drabble #2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drabble Time!!! (Gonna stick to the same topic on this one, maybe even make it the main subplot because I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF WINTERHAWK GUYS!!!!) Anyway, Drabble #2!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, drabble every few chapters, and I might even post a main plot chapter as well, depending if I go to the fair or not today :D

Clint's P.O.V

 

It was been two weeks since James showed up, and strangely enough, Clint was the only person he seemed to talk to. Luckily, Clint found the whole 'lost puppy' thing extremely cute, so it fueled his unquenchable desire to do something very, very stupid.

But he'd had self control. Good think he had a lot of it.

Because today, things that Clint really shouldn't see, just for his own sanity, he saw.

Like James Buchanan Barnes buck ass naked, besides a too small to be legal towel hung low on his hips. And damn did that man have wonderful hips.

Not to mention his happy trail suggesting dirty thoughts for Clint.

Or the rocking body, shoulders, and even legs that happened to draw more and more attention the longer Clint looked. Clint Stared.

"Barton."

He continued to stare.

"Barton?"

He tired to look away, but he really couldn't.

"Barton I'm about to throw something at you, what the fuck?"

"The towel maybe?" Clint finally raised his eyes, all of his self shame non-existent, he even raised his eyebrows as further suggestion.

"God dammit Clint." James chuckled, shaking his head. "Are you ever gonna stop being a pervert?" Clint just shrugged, leaning back against the wall to make a final check of his body before he went into his room.

"Not even gonna thrill me with a reverse strip tease?" Clint smirked.

"In your dreams, maybe." James closed the door, and Clint nodded to himself.

"Definitely." He mumbled, walking towards the small meeting room that happened to have to only working coffee machine.

He took a seat after starting the coffee, his focus on the door, knowing that James would be walking through it any moment now. Not only because he had nothing else to do, but because James seemed to know where he was at all times. It was weird, but slightly exciting. For Clint anyway.

A few minutes passed before James strode in, his long hair pulled back in a messy bun, a grey tank covering his torso, and a pair of black sweat pants hanging low on his hips. Clint sighed loudly, causing James to stick his tongue out at him.

"I could make thousands of dirty comments for that one action."

"Doubt it." James slung down in the chair across from him, at the some time Clint stood up and poured two glasses of coffee. He slid one over to James, nursing at his own as he reclaimed his seat.

"If Jarvis was up and running, you wouldn't doubt me."

"Jarvis?" James' eyebrow raised slightly.

"Oh he's the AI Tony created." Clint paused. "Stark. He was Howard's son." James just nodded, taking a long pull of his coffee.

"Why isn't he up and running?"

"We don't know how to really set him up yet. Nat's working on it." Once more, James nodded, letting silence fall as Clint stared slightly into space, his eyes slightly glazed over.

Clint tried not to think about it, the fall, the explosion, the retreat. But it was so fresh in his damn mind. He shivered slightly, his eyes sliding over to meet James.

"Can I call you Bucky?"

"No." The answer was immediate.

"How about sweetie?" Clint smirked, his normal façade returning. James paused for a second, before cracking a smile.

"If you want." Sadly, Clint had been taking a drink when James said it, causing him to choke on his coffee, some almost coming out of his nose.

"Seriously?" Clint's jaw slacked when James shrugged, smiling wide and mischievously. "Fucking awesome." Was his recovering statement.

The door opened, Steve trailing in with Bruce at his side.

"I'm serious Bruce, I don't think it's a good idea to do that."

"Cap, I respect your decision, but I think I'm more needed there. They asked for me." Bruce spoke quietly, his voice not raising at all as he sat down at the end of the table. Steve sighed, shaking his head.

"I guess you can go." It was obvious how his fight had left him, his authority almost non-existent.

"Where are you going?" Clint asked, his eyes locking with James' for a second, who looked just as curious.

Bruce glanced between the two. "I'm going to travel to India. There's a huge organization. It's a hospital almost. They asked for me over a protected line last night." Clint nodded.

"You should do it." James spoke, and Bruce flinched slightly.

"You think so?" Steve asked.

"Yeah." James shrugged, standing up to refill his cup. Clint raised his glass.

"Oh fill me up too, sweetie." James didn't even flinch as he nodded, taking his cup and placing it on the counter. "Of course, doll." Clint tried his hardest not to laugh, biting down on his bottom lip as Steve ogled at the two of them.

"uh..." Bruce looked away. "I'm going to go pack." He mumbled, leaving the room. Steve flicked his eyes back and forth before turning around.

"How about I help you with that." He followed Bruce out, closing the door behind him. The second the door clicked into place, Clint busted out laughing, James doing the same. It surprised Clint, and almost made him fall out of his seat.

James sounded like an angel.

He quickly reigned in the surprise.

"Doll? Really?"

"Trust me, _babe_ , pet names are natural to me." James licked his bottom lip, the corners of his lip twisting up as he handed Clint his coffee.

Clint almost dropped the cup.

James gazed at him like a predator does prey.

And it really, _really_ turned Clint on.

~

~James~

James looked at Clint, watching his pupils dilate slightly, which for some reason made him feel something strange. Strange as in, 'I'm attracted to this guy, and he's attracted to me' kind of strange.

"You're staring." James whispered, watching Clint blush lightly, which was weird, because he was always so stoic.

"Yeah." Clint breathed, setting his cup down on the counter as he stood up, his eyes still locked with James'. "I feel like doing something really stupid." James inhaled through his nose, tilting his head to the side slightly and raising his brows.

"Stupid is good." He shifted his shoulders slightly, leaning back against the counter, his eyes flicking up and down between Clint's lips and his eyes. "If you don't hurry up I'm gonna beat ya to it." Clint paused.

"Wait. Time out." James almost groaned.

"What?"

"You have an accent?" Clint asked, folding his arms. "And its not Russian?"

"I'm from Brooklyn dumbass." Clint nodded, leaning back against the table, his face almost ruining the moment. "Oh my fucking god fuck this." James practically lunged forward, his hand grabbing at the back of Clint's head and yanking his up, smashing his lips against Clint's in one fluid motion. The best part wasn't the softness of his lips. Or the way he seemed to melt against his body. Or even his fingers raising up to curl around James' neck.

No, the best part was the fact that Clint fucking squeaked.

And James could help it. He pulled away, laughing deep in his throat.

"You fuckin' squeaked." James doubled over, his hand clutching at his stomach.

'Shut up." Clint looked away, his face bright read. "Asshole." James reigned in his laughter, shaking his head and standing straight, stepping right into Clint's personal space. He grabbed at his chin, forcing him to look at him.

"I never said it wasn't cute."

"You're sappy as hell."

"What can I say, I'm a Brooklyn gentleman."

"And you're hot as hell."

"I know." With that Clint pulled away, laughing and smacking at James' arm.

"Dick." James laughed, turning around to grab his coffee.

 

**Author's Note:**

> There was a lot of POV jumping in this chapter DX oops. Anyway, don't worry, things will be explained further and it'll make more sense. Also, the back stories of some characters will change since everything after The Avengers wouldn't have happened.   
> Let me know what you thought? It's a work in progress, so any sort of advice or help is appreciated! Along with kudos and comments and such :3


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